Georgia Tech Takes Down State In Twinbill Opener, 9-1
Jackets Get First Victory In Series With Bulldogs
ATLANTA -- Homestanding Georgia Tech (30-16) erupted for three multi-run innings and held back a flurry of Mississippi State (30-21) scoring opportunities as the Yellow Jackets notched their first victory in the seven-game series with a 9-1 win over the Bulldogs Monday afternoon at Glenn Field in Atlanta.
State's one, two and three hitters combined for a 6-for-7 tally at the plate with Krystal Tillman walking once and scoring once on a perfect 2-for-2 day. Jennifer Nelson also turned in a flawless 2-for-2 tally to extend her hitting streak to 18 games, while Kate Jaspers finished with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate. Georgia Tech first baseman Katie Donovan drove in four runs and scored twice on a 3-for-3 showing that led the Yellowjackets.
Jennifer Nelson (6-6) worked the first three innings of the ballgame, allowing three runs on six hits and one walk to saddle the loss for MSU. Courtney Frank worked the fourth, allowing four runs on a pair of hits and two walks and Summer Delaneuville walked one and was victimized with a two-run homer in the fifth. Tech starter Erin Voeltz (11-4) allowed nine hits in five innings of work, but notched the victory anyway after striking out two and allowing just one run.
State put its first two hitters of the contest on via a walk and a single, but couldn't push a run across. Georgia Tech capitalized in its half of the first, taking advantage of an MSU error to bring a run across and take a 1-0 lead into the second.
The Bulldogs tied the score on a sac fly by Iyhia McMichael in the third, but the Yellowjackets retook the lead in the bottom of the inning, scoring a pair of runs on two RBI singles to take a 3-1 lead into the fourth. The Yellowjackets struck for four runs in the fourth on Donovan's three-run blast, then extended their lead out to 7-1 when Soraya Reddick crossed the plate on a costly error by MSU shortstop Jennifer Jessup.
Lauren Schlechte drew a walk to lead off the fifth before Georgia Tech induced the eight-run mercy rule on Tasha Waugh's pinch hit home run with the next at-bat.
GEORGIA TECH 9, MISSISSIPPI STATE 1 (5 Innings)
Mississippi State 001 00 - 1 9 2 Georgia Tech 102 42 - 9 9 0J. Nelson, Frank (4), Delaneuville (5) and Brown; Voeltz and Wood. W ? Voeltz (11-4). L ? J. Nelson (6-6). Save ? None. HR GT, Donovan (3), Waugh (3).